Greek Orthodox Cemetery, West Norwood

Greek Orthodox Cemetery, West Norwood Cemetery, London

Within the large Victorian cemetery at West Norwood, itself one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’, is an unique enclosed cemetery for the Greek Orthodox community which reflects two centuries of Anglo-Hellenic connections. The ground was acquired in 1842 by London's Greek community for a Greek Orthodox cemetery. Many monuments in the Necropolis feature neoclassical Greek designs, including columns, portico roofs, stepped bases and statues in togas. Today it is overseen by the trustees of the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, a Greek Orthodox church in Bayswater, West London.

The chapel of St Stephen and 18 monuments are listed by Historic England. The mortuary chapel of St Stephen was built in neo-classical style, and was built for merchant Stephen Ralli to bury his son, who had died in 1872 of rheumatic fever while at Eton.

Plan of West Norwood Cemetery, c.1880 © London Borough of Lambeth. The Greek Cemetery, and chapel of St Stephen in particular, can be seen in the top left corner.

Saadian Tombs, Marrakesh

Saadian Tombs, Marrakesh, Morocco

Visited February 2011

The Saadian tombs in Marrakesh date back to the 16th and 17th centuries, and comprise the burials of over 50 members of the Saadian Dynasty. When the dynasty fell in 1696 the tombs fell into disuse and were forgotten about. They were rediscovered in 1917 and were restored by the Beaux-arts service. 

The mausoleums which house the tombs are wonderfully decorated with Islamic tiles, wood carvings, columns and pillars, and have a feel similar to the Moorish architecture of Southern Spain. As well as the monumental architecture, there’s also a quiet garden with smaller tombs for soldiers and servants.

To find the tombs, go to the ancient Kasbah and look for the Almohad Mosque, and follow the signs from there down a path. The site isn’t very big, and there isn’t any interpretation (so take a guidebook!), but it’s worth a visit. It doesn’t seem to be too busy (being just far enough away from the centre of town to discourage visitors who’d rather be in the suq!), so is a quiet, shady place to while away 30 min to an hour. 

Medieval Cadaver Tombs

Although I tend to only add short articles to this blog, and base it on sites I’ve visited, I’ve recently noticed a type of tomb in old churches and cathedrals which I’ve never spotted before and wanted to write about in a bit more detail.

I can’t believe I’ve walked past them and not noticed them (I’m drawn to depictions and symbols of death!), but since spotting one in Arundel earlier this year, I’ve been doing a bit of research into these ‘Cadaver Tombs’.

A cadaver tomb is a type of recumbent tomb featuing an effigy of the dead in the fom of a decomposing corpse, not quite a skeleton. They're known as 'transi', emphasising the transition they show between life and death. They were particularly characteristic of the later Middle Ages, appearing mainly from the mid-15th Century. 

In the versions which I've spotted so far, both of the 'double decker' type, a carved stone bier displays, on the top level, the recumbent effigy of the person as they were in life, and on the bottom level the person as a rotting cadaver, often shrouded (and apparently sometimes complete with worms and other flesh-eating creatures, although I haven't seen those so far). 

These tombs were made only for high-ranking nobles, bishops and the like, because they had to be rich to afford to have one made, and powerful enough to be allocated space for one in a church.  They are found in cathedrals and parish churches in England, although they are most common in continental Europe.

The earliest surviving one, in Lincoln Cathedral, is to Bishop Richard Fleming (also the founder of Lincoln College, Oxford), who died in 1431. It's built into a wall in the cathedral, and I managed to spot it just the other day.

Another I've seen recently, which was in wonderful condition, is the free-standing tomb of John FitzAlan, the 14th Earl of Arundel, who died in 1435. His tomb is in the Fitzalan Chapel in the grounds of Arundel Castle.

I'm not an expert in medieval burial practices or art, but I'm going to be looking out for these tomb types wherever I go now! Maybe I should take a look at photographs I've already taken in cathedrals across England - I bet there are one or two of these tombs lurking in the background!

Hampstead Cemetery, London

Hampstead Cemetery, London

Visited February 2015

This cemetery is located in West Hampstead (so not the posh part of Hampstead Village!). It was opened in 1876, and is now closed to burials. Most of the visitors there appear to be either dog walkers or people cutting through using the footpaths.

It's divided into two parts by a footpath, and the atmosphere on the different sides is markedly different. When you enter from the road, it's a tidy, well laid out cemetery with little to recommend it (at least in winter!), but go down to the mortuary chapel and beyond and there are overgrown areas, and less foot traffic.

Among the usual gravestones, there are a few wonderful monuments. The grave marker in the shape of an organ is very unusual, and there's a wonderfully Egyptian styled monument, but my favourite is the magnificiently Art Deco Bianchi mausoleum.

European Cemetery, Marrakesh, Morocco

European Cemetery, Marrakesh, Morocco

Visited February 2011

To the north of Marrakesh, away from the busy old town centre, is the colonial new town area of Gueliz. In this area are such splendours as the Majorelle Gardens, and also the little visited European Cemetery. Built at the height of the colonial period, opening in 1925, most of the graves here are French. There is also a memorial dedicated to the North African soldiers who died fighting for French freedom during World War 2. A whole area is dedicated to French war graves, and another to children who died in infancy. 

The cemetery is very quiet - we were the only people there on a February afternoon, except the caretaker, and is free to visit. It's a bit overgrown, and absolutely lovely - do visit if you're in the city.

St Pancras Churchyard

St Pancras Churchyard, London

Visited May 2011

The church of St Pancras is believed to be one of the earliest Christian sites in London. The current church dates from the mid-19th century, but some of the graves in the churchyard are older. The churchyard is to the north of St Pancras station, and still a large, quiet green space. The graves were tidied up earlier this century.

There are a number of graves of interest - the mausoleum of Sir John Soane was the inspiration for the red telephone boxes! 

In the 1860s a large number of graves were excavated due to the building of St Pancras station. Many of the gravestones were piled around a tree in the churchyard, and one of the workers at the time was Thomas Hardy. The tree, still surrounded by gravestones, is now known as the Hardy Tree. Many graves were lost in this clearance, and in a subsequent clearance in the 1870s when part of the churchyard became a park. The Memorial to Lost Graves was erected in 1877 to commemorate these.

The Hardy Tree

the tomb of John Soane (he of the museum in Lincoln's Inn Square)

The Burdett Coutts Memorial to Lost Graves

Brompton Cemetery (2011)

Brompton Cemetery, London,

Visited April 2011

See http://placesofthedead.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/brompton-cemetery-london.html for more information on the cemetery. These photos are from my second visit to the cemetery - it's the sort of place I keep going back to!

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, London

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

Visited April 2011 

http://www.fothcp.org/

The cemetery in Tower Hamlets is one of the original 'Magnificent Seven' garden cemeteries. Opened for burials in 1841, it closed in 1966 and is now managed as a nature reserve. The burials here are not as impressive as those in the other garden cemeteries - being in the East End of London, the burials here are of a poorer segment of society. You won't find many famous incumbents, instead there are sailors, trade unionists and stars of the music hall. 

The cemetery is now managed for nature, and has a wonderfully overgrown feel to it. Although the main paths are used as a thoroughfair for cyclists, wander down any other path and you'll be in a wilderness. Visit in spring for a lovely display of flowers, especially bluebells, and you might find yourself face to face with a fox cub if you're lucky (I did, not sure which of us got more of a fright!). You'll be glad you visited!